Let the evidence speak: Three-Decade TPLF’s Deception and Disinformation Strategy

by Ewnetu Sime

Tigrai People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) is “celebrating” thirty eight years birth of their mob rule style at Mekele town. The on going discussions of the issues are not known to general public, at least to my knowledge. But it is expected that they will be confined to dogmatic ethnic politics and then viciously slandered one another to win the power struggle among themselves. TPLF survived all these years through deception or coercion and frequently by brutal force.  They had political and ideological differences within their guerrilla warfare years. 

Through violent internal purges or dissention, execution and finally the current ethno-centric TPLF’s leaders came out as winner. The present leaders continued the ethnic based authoritarian rule and eroded Ethiopian nationalist identity. A long Ethiopian history of cultural awareness is weakening through deception and disinformation strategy. They are attempting to rewrite history based on lies and political propaganda ploy.

As we witnessed and observed when the Derg dictatorship nears its terminal stage, TPLF realized a symbolic strategy is needed to seize power. They formed a ridicule united front with Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), EPDM the defector group from Ethiopian People Revolutionary Party (EPRP) called Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement, OPDO a group of Derg’s troop prisoners of TPLF and EPLF known as Oromo People’s Democratic Organization, and with others smaller ethnic

Groups. 

They then formed Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Party (EPRDF). Within EPRDF, TPLF is by far dominant and have a monopoly over everything, including policy formulation, politics, economics, etc…

After 38 years of their existence, TPLF leaders remain extremely corrupt and not able to break out their ethnic and regional enclaves. But sadly, TPLF_ EPRDF has squandered multiple opportunities for building a free society. The 1974 Ethiopia revolution that promised to bring about genuine peace, freedom, justice, to all Ethiopians has been hijacked and prolonged. Unless the opposition democratic forces are willing to collaborate among themselves and to step up effective indigenous discipline movement as seen in Arab Spring movements. Arab Spring movement leads the complete defeat of African tyrants. TPLF’s regime resembles with many African dictators. If the discontents continue unanswered, the consequence will be the inevitable collapse of dictatorial rule with all out uprising. Does this lead to anarchy and possible to another civil war?   Just by looking the countries that went through Arab Spring movement, the answer is no. One hope the opposition groups by focusing on common causes and shared values will do smart move and will take steps now to unite.

It is not a secret EPRDF is a just mask for TPLF to fragment or destroy the sovereignty of unitary state of Ethiopia. The goal of this alliance from its very inception has been to promote ethnic rights over national priority. As it stated above from this alliance TPLF has an enormous power. We already witnessed that they can and has done anything they want. As stated above, one of the alliances in EPRDF was the OLF. They have been reflected similar political aim to have one ethnic dominance and to destroy Ethiopian unity.  As we recall in 1991, the OLF leaders was given special treatment, and made to feel as though they are on the winning team.

However, before they get too comfortable in new position, TPLF’s leaders saw them as a threat to their power. Immediately, OLF’s leaders and supporters were attacked until TPLF is assured that they were no longer a threat.

Soon after, TPLF’s action has been revealed to rest of the Ethiopian people too, the Opposition and the patriotic people has been attacked, killed, jailed, tortured and destroyed without mercy. Ethnic rights concept is used as a shield for atrocity TPLF committed. As we know, to advance ethnic rights TPLF/EPRDF retained the kebele peasant associations from past Derg’s regime structure, which they used to control the people same way as the Derg did. At same time, TPLF cadres penetrated in every corner of the associations. Then the cadres implemented TPLF’s ethnic policy in full.

They introduced a system of identity cards through kebele specifying to which ethnic a card holder belonged. Ethnic division’s official instituted and discrimination by ethnic line become as norm for ruling TPLF aristocracy. Ethnic violence orchestrated by TPLF later erupted in Harare, Anwak in Gambella and on other several regions. Although they are so obsessed and entrenched on this barbaric style, ethnicity has not resonated to most of ordinary Ethiopians to date. This was proven in 2005 where the Opposition parties mobilized undivided mass and win election.

The history of Ethiopia revolution that ignited in 1974 largely about to be free from yoke of oppression and exploitation of all Ethiopians. The fight always against Oligarchs and tyrants since the day of Ethiopian Students Movement commenced in 1960. Liberation by revolution would entail fundamentally to bring about equality and justice for all. Unfortunately, TPLF’s leaders have refused to listen or ask what everyone else thinks. The effect is alienating more Ethiopian patriots and ordinary fair minded people from political process. TPLF’s deception and disinformation strategy hindering all forms democratic rights and become also a path for the continuation of a toxic single ethnic-based rule tyranny.

It is evident that ethnic based of political structure is incapable of providing any solution to the country political, social and economic problems. In multinational state all ethnic deserve to be treated equally. For several years TPLF’s deception and self-aggrandizing propaganda attempted nearly every method imaginable to paint the Oppositions are against respecting ethnic rights.  In contrary, the Oppositions are standing for diversity, equality, political democracy, social justice, unity, etc… In the past decades, we can enumerate several evidences that that the country is ravaged by a TPLF leaders to weaken Ethiopian solidarity. In the absences of oppositions, free media, check and balance system  they proven to be corrupt, and continue to loot the country wealth and natural resources at broad day light, and made it easy for cronies to do the same. In summary we all aware of the dire situation in the country and we shall speak out in any way we can. As seen in the past in Tunisia or Ethiopia, if we brought unbearable pressure on the dictators, they tend to flee the country and the supports also will change with the tide.